Jeffrey Dahmer, Netflix, Evan Peters and Blablablablabla
October 29th, 2022
I really think that I have a Netflix addiction problem but this is not the topic of this article. My new favourite thing to do these weeks is having Netflix on in the background as I play solitaire on my laptop. This might actually be more relevant to where this text is heading. Of course, I got a notification in the form of an email when the new Jeffrey Dahmer Netflix series dropped and I obviously chose this as my next solitaire companion. So, maybe my review is not an in-depth one considering the circumstances that I just mentioned but it surely is full of passion and intensity.
Jeffrey Dahmer might have been a serial killer, a sex offender, into necrophilia, and a cannibal but he had been through some traumatic events like most of us. When it came to the tragic background of Jeffrey Dahmer’s childhood, I had my moments of sympathy for sure, but then I kept remembering that this guy was killing, raping, dismembering and eating people. I haven’t done any of those things and I wonder what’s wrong with me. Maybe only cannibals have truly been in love after all like a meme that I saw today suggested. But seriously do I have to sympathise with Jeffrey Dahmer?
Jeffrey, did you kill those people because of your abandonment issues?
But no Dimitra you are being too harsh. The series paid enough attention to the victims as well and the people that suffered because of Jeffrey Dahmer’s actions. I really enjoyed the detail about the fact that Jeffrey Dahmer’s father could become a millionaire because of the story that he had to share as a serial killer’s father. I wonder whether Netflix and the people involved in this production are doing the same taking advantage of these people’s suffering. When Jeffrey Dahmer’s father failed to make money out of his book, a feeling of justice was restored. The victims’ families who most of the time came from disadvantaged minority groups gained part of the profit, and of course this was highly celebrated in the series. I also wonder if Netflix would do the same. But no, it’s not about money - visibility is enough!
Also when Jeffrey Dahmer was doing his little creepy things I felt like oh my god Jeffrey you are such a freak! And it is true this watching experience felt like a trip to the circus without a doubt. To be honest, I really look forward to the next show that is going to feature maybe a woman with five heads or a man with ten hands. Don’t get me wrong I also love true crime and I enjoy it a lot but I cannot stop wondering: why these days? There have been articles about America’s obsession with true crime but I am not even American. Why do I get pleasure out of learning about Jeffrey Dahmer’s secret techniques and tactics? We love to consume you Jeffrey Dahmer like you consumed your victims - but okay? It’s 2022 we must be respectful.
Anyway, I actually think that serial killer stories are extremely retro and that this Jeffrey Dahmer thing is starting to get extremely old. Serial killers have rapidly declined since the 1980s, a decade during which the phenomenon reached a dramatic peak. And even though I am pretty tired of serial killer stories, I am not tired of staring at Evan Peters. At least, Evan Peters is hot or I am just a person who grew up watching American Horror Story. I also don’t think that Evan Peters was the only reason I finished the series. It wasn’t such a bad show after all. It’s just that it’s October and I am getting ready to become extremely evil for Halloween.
